One possible way of treating infectious body cavities is provided by so-called “endoluminal vacuum therapy.” This form of therapy employs a special wound drainage system which is composed essentially of an open-pore sponge for absorbing wound secretions and a drainage tube for removing or discharging the absorbed wound secretions. Such a wound drainage system is marketed by B. Braun Aesculap AG under the name “Endo-SPONGE.”
In general, the sponge is placed in the relevant body cavity with an applicator system consisting of a tube- or pipe-like overtube and a pusher, by which the sponge is pushed through the overtube. The sponge is folded or pressed together, or compressed, by the overtube. After emerging from the overtube, the sponge unfolds again immediately and in this state is ready to absorb wound secretions. A disadvantage of this is that once it has unfolded, the sponge can generally no longer be repositioned or re-placed inside the body cavity. Since even with a preliminary endoscopic study of the relevant body cavity, there is not always a guarantee that the sponge can be brought into the desired position inside the body cavity at the first attempt, a repositionably designed sponge would be of great medical benefit.
It could therefore be helpful to provide an absorbent medical body which can be positioned in a body cavity without using an overtube and, above all, can optionally be repositioned several times inside the body cavity.